Catching Up and Moving On

I am hoping with all my heart that this will post properly! The post from early April looked great on the preview then mushed together in a MOST unpleasant fashion. I also was not able to go back and make corrections. So here is the information I originally had at the top of the post entitled, "Angel Driver". This was an article I wrote and submitted for consideration by an editor creating a compilation of stories just like ours. If it's selected, I will definitely let you know! So here we are again. I'm hoping that all these letters and numbers and symbols I see (which make no sense in their current form) will actually post as the most precious picture of Spencer Matthew and me taken Easter Sunday Morning.

I'm also hoping you'll be able to see this picture of the "three little boys" as we call them in our family. They are the three youngest of our nine but someday they will be tall men like their daddies. At that point, I'm sure we won't be calling them the littles any longer.

This next one is so full of sass and sweetness that I can't even think of an appropriate caption to add. Our family had once again gathered for a photo shoot that would include Andrew Smith. (He was not yet born during our last family photo foray so I'll be most happy to finally have all nine grands on my wall at home.) The girls work hard to make this endeavor as pleasant as possible for everyone. The fellas tolerate it well until we overshoot the time alottment. And we always do the shoot outdoors so the children can run and play to their hearts' content. This is a candid shot of Noni and her girls.

We've also done a bit more baby-sitting this month than is usual. Meagan and Nathan flew to NC to spend a long weekend with the extended Smith family. They wanted to have a quick visit with his sister and her fiance before the big wedding weekend. (Also, Sarah has been experiencing substantial medical issues and they really needed to see their sister for themselves. Sometimes, video chat just isn't enough!) Then John performed a wedding which meant Joy needed to be available to attend the rehearsal dinner and pre-wedding festivities with him. Way more baby-sitting needed than normal so enter Papa and Noni. We met up with Kristin (who had the two smallest Smith boys) and all spent a morning at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales. I'll show more of those pictures later but I love this shot of Noah and Madi.

No one else seems to make adventures both safe and fun like Papa. I'm sure that wall seem very tall to those boys. But holding Papa's hand gave them the courage they needed to walk all the way to the end. I love this guy!

The next weekend when we were in charge of the Schreck crew, we enjoyed pizza at one location and snowcones at another. That meant some travel time; didn't we have a handsome driver?! I'm sure this picture will show up in a high school or college graduation slide show.

Well, I'm not 100% sure how this will all post. If it's a MUSH again, I apologize profusely. If it posts properly, you'll hear me cheering from central FL. Fingers crossed. I pray blessings for your week and creativity for your heart!